The H&F Business Awards are a great local initiative and if you live in the local area or especially if you run a business in the borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, they should absolutely be on your radar!
These local business awards have been celebrating the strength and variety of H&F’s business community for a number of years.
This year, businesses can self-nominate across 19 categories, making the awards open to organisations of every size – from early-stage start-ups to long-established independents.
Horton and Garton is incredibly proud to be sponsoring the 2026 awards.
Why local business awards matter
Not only do local business awards celebrate your achievements and honour a contribution to the local economy but they are great exposure in the locality, which can be hard to come by in the increasingly digital world.
Being nominated – and particularly being shortlisted or winning – does more than sit well on a website. It signals to customers, suppliers and the wider community that your business has been independently assessed and found to be doing something well.
And we especially recognise that for smaller businesses without large marketing budgets, that kind of credibility is genuinely valuable.
Having entered for awards previously, and continuing to do so, John knows first hand that the awards create a moment for business owners to reflect on what they have built.
The process of putting together a nomination requires you to articulate your achievements, your values and your contribution to the local economy. That exercise has value in itself, regardless of the outcome.
A community that supports its own
Hammersmith and Fulham has a strong and varied business community. From independent retailers and creative studios to hospitality businesses and professional services, the borough has long been a place where local enterprise takes root and endures.
Longstanding local businesses will know that the relationships between business owners and customers develop over years, and support across Hammersmith & Fulham for independent businesses is generally strong, it’s a place where many independent businesses have been able to hold their ground through some difficult periods.
That community spirit is something John Horton knows well. Horton and Garton has been part of the borough for 18 years, building long-standing relationships with clients, neighbours and fellow business owners across Hammersmith, Chiswick and Shepherd’s Bush.
Hammersmith and Fulham has a strong and varied business community, and the high street is at the heart of that. We’ve been part of this community for over 18 years, so supporting these awards feels like a natural fit. It’s great to be able to help recognise the businesses that make this borough what it is.
John Horton, Owner and Director of Horton and Garton
As a sponsor, John will also be sitting on the judging panel for two of the 19 categories – bringing that same long-standing knowledge of the local business environment to the assessment process.
The 2026 awards: What you need to know
The H&F Business Awards are run by Hammersmith & Fulham Council through its Business Connects programme, in partnership with local sponsors. The ceremony takes place in September at the Civic Campus which is a new venue for the awards this year.
Businesses can self-nominate across 19 categories. Whether you are a retailer, a hospitality business, a creative enterprise or a professional services firm, there is likely a category that fits.
The nominations deadline is 1 July 2026.
How to enter the H&F local business awards
Before submitting, it is worth reading the council’s guidance on nomination criteria – the awards are judged on specific criteria per category, and a well-prepared nomination will always stand out.
If you run a business in the borough and have been thinking about entering, now is the time. The deadline is days away.
For more information on the awards, categories and judging criteria, visit the H&F Business Awards page.
